Closure and method and apparatus for applying same



pril 24, 1934.

` G. w. BOOTH CLOSURE AND METHOD AND A`l".^\lATUSl FOR APPLYING SAMEOriginal Filed Nov. 4, 1932 April 24, 1934. G Wl BQQTH- 1,956,213

' CLOSURE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SAME original Filed Nov.4. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E@ ffy-6- Wto/WMA S April24, 1934. G, w, BOOTH.l 1,956,213

cLosURE AND METHOD AND lAPPARATUS Fon APPLYIN'G SAME Original Filed Nov.4, 1932 "3 Sheets-.Sheet 3 Patented Apr.` 24, 1934` CLOSURE George W.Booth, Bal

AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SAME timore, Md., assigner toCrown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore,

Md., a corporation of New York Application November 4, 1932, Serial No.641,288 Renewed February 3, 1934 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to specific devel-` opments under theconvention described and claimed in my copending United Statesapplication Serial No. 553,464, led July 27, 1931.

Serial No. 553,464 discloses the idea of sealing a container by means ofa substantially flat ductile disc which is smoothly ironed and drawnover the upper external surface of a bead surrounding the containermouth, the marginal portion of the disc taking a natural locking crimpunder the bead. The said application, while not limited as to the extentof the ironed zone of the closure,

shows an expansible throat of such normal diinvention. The presentinvention relates to a new method, to the means for carrying out the newmethod, such means including either an eX- pansible or non-expansiblethroat, and to the sealed container.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an axial section through a capping head, a container neckand a closure disc in initial position.

Figure 2 shows the elements of Figure '1, in a second relation.

Figure 3 shows the elements of Figure 1, in a third relation.

Figure 4 shows the elements of Figure 1, in a fourth relation.

Figure 5 shows the elements of Figure 1, modified as to the throat, ininitial position.

Figure 6 shows the elements of Figure 5, in a second position.

Figure 7 shows the el third position.

Figure 8 showsthe elements of Figure 5, in a fourth position.

Figure 9 is an elevation partly in section of the throat of Figures 1 to4.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the throat of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is an elevation partly in section of the throat of Figures 5to 8.

ements of Figure 5, in a margin occurring as contemplated in theoriginal (Cl. 22S-83') Figure 12 is a plan view of the throat of Figure11.

Figure 13 is a diametric section of one form of closure disc.

Figure 14 is a plan of the disc of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a diametric section of another suitable form of disc, and

Figure 16 shows an elevation, the top of a bottle with the closure capapplied in accordance with the present invention. l

Referring first to Figures 13 and 14, reference numeral 20 designates acircular substantially iiat closure disc of ductile material, ordinarilymetal. As here shown, the disc is single-ply and its central portion isslightly upwardly offset to leave an annular marginal portion.

According to Figure 15, the disc comprises a ply 21 of ductile materialand an overall liner 22 of relatively compressible material. This linermay be of any suitable material known in the art and may be in thenature of an adhesively applied ply or in the nature of a coating. Thedisc is shown as being centrally oiset as the disc 20 of Figures 13 and14.

The described discs are merely shown as representative of the closurediscs contemplated underv the present invention, since the invention isnot limited as regards the specific disc structure.

In Figures l to 4, reference numeral 23 designates generally a cappinghead carried by a neck 24, which, in turn, is supported in a support 25for movement relative to the latter. An annulus 26 is positioned in thehead beneath the top wall thereof and is secured to an external annulus2'2 by means of studs 28 slidable in apertures in thel top wall of thehead. Interposed between a fixed ange or seat 29 and a superposedslidable ring 3o, is a compression spring 31. A throat 32 has a topannular rib 33 supported on a ledge formed on ring 30, spring 31 holdingthe top edge of the ,throat against annulus 26.

A presser tool 34 is arranged coaxially with throat 32 and is supportedon annulus 26 by means of a capr35, the latter being engaged by therounded extremity of a stud 36, which is urged downwardly by acompression spring 37, down- Ward movement of the stud being limited bythe In Figure 1, a disc 20 islassumed to' have been fed onto ledge 40 tobe supported thereby and a bottle 41 is positioned in coaxial relationto the head beneath the disc. The mouth o f bottle 41 has the usual bead42, which has a top exterior surface outwardly convexed, that is ofincreasing diameter from its top`to the line or plane of maximumcircumference of the bead, the bead presenting a shoulder below thisline.

Upon relative movement of the support and container to approach 'themcoaxially, and assuming that the support is 4being moved downwardly, thecap 20 comes to rest on top of the bead and is centered thereon byreason of its central offset portion. The pressure tool 34, resting onthe cap, holds the head against further downward movement with thesupport so that the support now moves downwardly relative to neck 24,eventually striking ring 27 and lowering annulus 26 and therewith throat32 until the lower edge of the latter is closely approached to the topof the disc margin. This downward movement of the throat is limited byabutment of ring 2'7 with the top wall of the head. Further movement ofthe support 25 causes the presser tool to rise against spring 37, thethroat beginning to bend the marginal portion of the cap as shown inFigure 2. i

Throat 32 is solid and non-expansible as shown in Figures 1 to 4.Externally, it is substantially cylindrical, with the exception of rib33, but internally its surface is that of a frustrum of a steep invertedcone. The lower inner edge 32 of the throat has a diameter which isslightly less than the diameterl of the bead 42 at its line of maximumcircumference plus twice the thickness of\ the disc. Therefore, uponcontinued movement of the head, the edge 32 begins to iron the skirt,4of the cap immediately above the line of maximum. circumference of thebead with a powerful action. This ironing action results in a perfectlysmooth conformation of the skirt to the bead surface in the ironing zoneand above this zone the skirt is powerfully drawn into smoothconformation with the upper bead surface.

In Figure 3, the edge 32' has substantially reached the line of maximumcircumference of the bead and is effecting the ironing action justmentioned. The extreme marginal portion of the skirt is still guided onledge 40, but is just about to leave the latter and does upon slightfurther movement of the head. Hereupon, the margin of the skirt belowthe line of maximum circumference of the bead takes a natural lockingcrimp under the shoulder, as shown in Figure 4. As shown in this latterfigure, the throat has travelled downwardly to such an extent that itslower portion would tend to tuck the buckled skirt margin under theshoulder, but this tendency is purely incidental. 'I'he throat need nottravel to any appreciable extent beyond the line of maximumcircumference of the bead.

It willbe understood that due to the relation of the diameter of edge 32to the diameter of the bottle, a very powerful compressive force isexerted on the skirt as'edge 32' comes to the line of maximumcircumference of the bead and the skirt material is necessarily slightlycompressed or'thinned. It will be apparent, therefore, that the bottlebead can have no appreciable irregularity in the carrying out of themethod. Since bottle beads frequently are not exactly true it isdesirable, when using the described non-expansible throat, to use aclosure having a liner such as is shown in Figure 15. The liner 22 isrelatively compressible as compared to the ductile disc 2l. In the useof this closure, therefore, the throat due to the compressibility of,the liner does not strain the bottle top so severely as when the lineris omitted and the material of the liner readily accommodates itself toslight irregularities in the bead finish. The diameter of the edge 32'would, of course, be somewhat larger if a lined closure were to be used,and in general it may be said that the exact diameter of the edge 32' isdetermined by the thickness of' the closure and its compressibility.

The neck of the bottle 41 is shown in Figure 16 with the cap 20 appliedthereto. T he smooth conformation of the skirt to the bead is clearlyshown in this View, this conformation giving the closure a large contactarea with the bead, so

@that a very eicient seal is afforded.

The structure shown in Figures 5 to 8 is exactly the same as that ofFigures 1 to 4, with the exception of the throat. The throat 43, Figures5 to 8, is made up of a number of segments 44, these being surroundedand held together for relatively expansive movement by a spring 45.Interiorly, throat 43 has normally exactly the .same shape as the abovedescribed throat 32 and normally the edge 43 has the same diameter asthe edge 32. On the other hand, the diameter of the edge 43 may besomewhat less than the diameter of edge 32 in view of the expansibilityof the throat 43.

The capping operation is carried out in exactly the same manner asdescribed in connection with Figures l and 2 and the same four positionsare illustrated in Figures 5 to 8. With the expansible throat there is,of course, less danger of breakage due to irregularities in the beadnish and, therefore, for general use the expansive throat is preferableto the non-expansive throat. For another thing the segments, after edge43' has passed the line of maximum circumference of the bead, tend topivot about this line and it will be noted that in Figures 7 and 8, thethroat is reversely conical, as compared to Figures 5 and 6, whichillustrate the normal condition of the throat.. Due to this spreading ofthe lower end of the throat, it will be obvious that withdrawal of thehead from the container is facilitated.

I wish to emphasize again the fact that while the invention contemplatesthe use of a substantially disc-like closure, it is not limited to themake-up of the closure which may be single-ply, plural-ply or multi-ply.It is merely essential that the closure have the necessarycharacteristic of ductility. Further, the invention is not limited asregards details of apparatus and I do not limit myself as to any ofthese particulars, except as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of applying a ductile disc closure to a bead surrounding aclosure mouth, the bead having an external convex surface above its lineof maximum circumference and a shoulder below said line, said methodcomprising bending the positioned disc over said convex surface to forma skirt and ironing the skirt on the bead circumferentiallysubstantially continuously from a circumferential line of the beadimmediately adjacent said line of maximum circumference toward saidlast-named line, whereby the skirt portion in the ironing zone issmoothly conformed to the bead by the ironing acti-on and the skirtportion between the ironing zone and the top of the bead is drawn intosmooth conformeagre 3 the skirt taking a natural locking crimp undersaid shoulder.

2. The method of applying a ductile disc closure to a bead surrounding aclosure mouth, the bead having an external convex surface above its lineof maximum circumference and a shoulder below said line, said methodcomprising bending the positioned disc over said convex surface to forma skirt and ironing the skirt on the bead circumferentiallysubstantially continuously from a circumferential line of the beadimmediately adjacent said line of maximum circumference toward saidlast-named line and in a circular path of fixed radius, whereby theskirt portion in the ironing Zone is smoothly conformed to the bead bythe ironing action and the skirt portion between the ironing zone andthe top of the bead is drawn in to smooth conformation with the bead,the marginal portion of the skirt taking a natural locking crimp undersaid shoulder.

3. Means for applying a ductile disc closure to a bead surrounding themouth of a container, the bead having an external convex surface aboveits line of maximum circumference and a shoulder below said line, saidmeans comprising a throat having a substantially circular lower inneredge, said circular edge having a normal diameter slightly less than thelength of the diameter of the bead at its line of maximum circumferenceplus twice the thickness of the closure, means for relatively nmovingand coaxially approaching the throat and container to cause said edge toengage the positioned disc to bend it over said surface to form a skirt,the relative movement of the throat and container being continued toAcause said circular edge to come at least to said line of maximumcircumference, said edge "ironing the skirt immediately adjacent saidline to conform it smoothly to the bead and to draw the skirt portionabove the ironed zone into smooth conformation with the bead, theironing action causing the marginal portion of the skirt to take anatural locking crimp under said shoulder.

4. Means for applying a ductile disc closure to a bead surrounding themouth of a container,

the bead having an external convex ysurface above its line of maximumcircumference and a shoulder below said line, said means comprising anexpansible throat having a substantially cir-v cular lower inner edge,said circular edge Ahaving a normal diameter slightly less than thelength of the diameter of the bead at its linel of maximum circumferenceplus twice the thickness of the closure. means for relatively moving andcoaxially approaching the throat and oontainer to cause said edge toengage the positioned disc to bend it over said surface to form a skirt,the relative movement of the throat and container being continued tocause said circular edge to come at least to said line vof maximumcircumference, said edge ironing the skirt immediately adjacent said`line to conform it smoothly to the bead and to draw the skirt portionabove the ironed zone into smooth conformation with the bead, theironing action causing the marginal portion of the skirt to take anatural locking crimp undersaid shoulder.

5. Means for applying a ductile disc closure to a bead surrounding themouth of a container, the bead having an external convex surface aboveits `line of maximum circumference and a shoulder below said line, saidmeans comprising a throat having a substantially circular lower inneredge of constantV diameter, said circular edge having a diameterslightly less than the length of Athe diameter of the bead at its lineof maximum lcircumference plus twice the thickness of the clossure,means for relatively moving and coaxially approaching the throat andcontainer to cause said edge to` engage the positioned disc to bend itover said surface to form a skirt, the relative movement of the throatand container being continued to cause said circular edge to come atleast to said line of maximum circumference, said edge ironing the skirtimmediately adjacent said line to conform it smoothly to the bead and todraw the skirt portion above the ironed zone into smooth conformationwith the bead, the ironing action causing the marginal mum circumferenceof the bead toward the latter plane, whereby the skirt is conformedsmoothly to the beadabove the line of maximum circumference of the bead,the skirt having a marginal portion self-buckled into engagement withthe bead to lock the cap on the container.

GEORGE W BOOTH.

